Holden's Depression In The Catcher In The Rye

Also Holden doesn’t have anyone who he can really talk to about his feelings. Holden’s thoughts of wishing he was dead leads up for him to think he has cancer and that he is going to die. Holden says “it was a sign that you probably had cancer. I'd had this sore on the inside of my lip for about two weeks. So figured I was getting cancer.

When Holden gets kicked out of his current school, Pencey, he decides to leave a few days early to spend a few days in New York City alone. During the trip Holden experiences many events that cause him to have mental breakdowns. Holden’s mental breakdowns with his fight with Stradilator, date with Sally and crying episode in the rain eventually lead to an appointment with a psychologist.

See it hard to see growth in Holden when he has a mind like this. We know through the book Holden has depression. In certain chapters he would mention that he would want to die or wish that the bad thing would have happen to him. Everytime i read a part where he said he wanted to be die it made me worry about him more. I say that because each time it would just worst .

Throughout the novel Holden expresses his feeling of deep sadness to the reader. Holden’s sadness is being triggered by small incidents that occur in his daily life. Holden’s inability to function within his society without feeling a rush of deep sadness shows that he is emotionally damaged. For example, when Holden went to the bar for a drink he was disgusted by the audience clapping for the excellent piano player that he believed was phony, he states, “I partly blame all these dopes that clap their heads off--they’d foul up anybody, if you gave them a chance. Anyway, it made me feel depressed and lousy again, and I damn near got my coat back and went back to the hotel, but it was too early and I didn’t feel much like being alone,” (Salinger 95).

Holden has a very different way of showing his depression in the novel. His depression is present when he tries to keep his innocence and stray away from adult hood all while trying to keep his relationship with his brother Allie. Holden wants to be the “catcher in the rye “. He wants to be that person who catches those kids who are falling off the cliff into adulthood. Holden wants to protect those who are close to him and those that he loves.

Boy gone crazy or depressed? Holden is in a deep depression but, does he stay depressed or go crazy? After Holden’s brother (Allie) dies he gets very depressed. Holden wasn 't even able to attend the funeral.

The only motivator that Holden has to continue living is his younger sister, Phoebe, who is extraordinarily intelligent for her age. After he gets kicked out of Pencey, Holden is lost in life. He speaks to many people, seeking advice and comfort, but they are not able to help him find a human connection. Holden’s depression increases throughout the novel, almost to the point of suicide. He criticizes many people and ideas, labeling them as ‘phony’.

According to Dr. Harold, depression occurs when a person’s brain has trouble managing stress such as divorce, loss of a valued friendship, or death of a loved one. Holdens overwhelming emotion caused him to overreact violently without knowing or feeling

These problems he is having are not normal and should be addressed immediately. I think that this advanced stage of depressions may have been worsened by his parents. Holden undoubtedly believes that he was abandoned by his parents by them sending him to boarding schools instead of bringing him home to confront his actually problems. Also the separation of him form the rest of his family for the most part has made him miss his brother more which has worsened his

Therefore, his depression and thoughts of suicide are enkindled by the emotional dissatisfaction he experiences at Pencey. Second, Holden’s reckless behaviour of excessive drinking to escape his problems also displays his depression. For example, after Holden’s heated argument with Sally, he fails to maturely resolve his problem with Sally. Instead, he decides to bury himself in alcohol. This is revealed when he states,“she kept telling me to go away and leave her alone, so finally I did… and left without her.

Catcher in the Rye In the book Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the narrator and protagonist Holden Caulfield a sixteen year old junior undergoes a series of changes. Holden learns multiple life changing lessons; one of them is you must grow up. In the beginning of the novel, Holden starts out as “that kid”; the one with the parents who expect him to get into an ivy league school, and end up with a kid with no intentions of doing so. At the beginning of the book it is very apparent that Holden lacks motivation; he also has hit rock bottom.

How Holden matured People go through rough stuff in their lives, such as losing a close sibling. It seems impossible to pull yourself out of the pain and guilt of your loss. It appeared Holden was in the same predicament, but through his experiences in the novel The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger he learns to grow up. Aside from being very immature, holden refuses to grow up and dislikes people who have grown up.

Holden exhibits many of the physical symptoms of depression, such as changes in appetite, unexplained physical problems, and increased consumption of alcohol (Mayo Clinic). By the end of the novel, Holden experienced a complete nervous breakdown and displays many of the symptoms of depression. Once in the novel Holden mentions his thin physique while at a diner. He says, “I’m a very light eater… That’s why I’m so damn skinny,” (Salinger 120).

Along with Holden’s many health problems, he is also mentally unstable in that he makes very erratic and irresponsible decisions, particularly when it comes

Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has abnormal tendencies. Although he could just be a typical teenager, dealing with difficult situations, after analyzing his behavior it is believed that he is suffering from a mental ailment of some sort. Events from Holden’s past are still currently haunting him and it is evident that he is struggling. He needs the guidance of those around him in order to help himself through these tough time.